Summer is one of the best times of the year, especially for those of us who only get warm weather for 3 months of the year.
It’s a time to get outside, get active and have a lot of fun. And it’s much easier to have fun when you can have your pet by your side. But just like humans, doggie can get overheated and dehydrated pretty easily when he’s running around in the sun and heat.
Here are 17 frozen dog treats we’ve found that work great for rehydrating and refreshing your pup (and some of them you can share)!Note: A lot of these recipes require a mold.
Peanut Butter and Banana FroYo Pops
Ingredients:
- 32 oz. plain, unsweetened yogurt
- 1-2 bananas
- 2-3 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. honey
Directions: Blend all ingredients together in a blender or in a bowl with a hand mixer. Distribute evenly into ice cube trays and freeze until firm. (Bonus tip: put a toothpick into the center of these to feed them to humans, too!)
Easy Freezy Berry Bones
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
Directions: Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into bone-shaped freezer molds and freeze until solid — at least 4 to 5 hours.
Watermelon Banana Honey Popsicle
Ingredients:
- About 2 cups chopped watermelon
- 1 large banana
- 1 tsp. honey
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a blender on high speed. Pour into an ice cube tray or freezer-friendly mold and freeze until solid — about 2 hours.
Frozen Meaty Treats
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of your pup’s favorite meat, cooked and shredded
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
- Small handful of parsley
- 1 cooked carrot,
- 3/4 tbsp. olive oil
Directions: Chop the parsley finely and add to a bowl with your meat, yogurt and olive oil. Mash the carrot and add to other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and portion into an ice cube tray. Freeze until solid.
Peanut Butter and Sweet Potato Cubes
Ingredients:
- The flesh of 1/2 roasted sweet potato
- 3/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter
Directions: Scoop the flesh from your roasted sweet potato out with a spoon and combine in a bowl with the peanut butter. Mix well, then scoop into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Transfer to an airtight freezer container and use whenever you like — as a treat or as a less-messy recipe for a Kong toy treat.
Apple Cinnamon Bones
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Directions: Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spoon into bone-shaped freezer molds. Freeze until solid.
Dog-a-licious Dessert
Ingredients:
- 4 cups rice milk
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- Honey or peanut butter miniature dog biscuits.
Directions: Combine rice milk and vanilla together. Set a muffin tin with cupcake liners and pour the rice milk mixture evenly into each liner. Place one miniature dog biscuit on top of each filled liner. Freeze until solid. To serve, remove cupcake liner and place into a bowl for easy access.
FroYo-Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients:
- Parchment paper or wax paper
- Plain, unsweetened yogurt (thicker is better in this case)
- Strawberries
Directions: The portion sizes are up to you. Wash and hull the strawberries. Dip them into the yogurt and place them on your parchment or wax paper. Freeze for 30-60 minutes, just until the yogurt is solid on the strawberry.
Layered Sweet Potato Frosty Bones
Ingredients:
- Plain, unsweetened yogurt
- Mashed sweet potato
- Honey
- Freezer-friendly bone molds.
Directions: Pour a thin layer of yogurt into the bottom of the mold, about 1/4 inch, and freeze until solidified — about 1 hour. Remove from freezer and add a layer of the mashed sweet potato on top of the yogurt. Then, add a second layer of yogurt atop the sweet potato. Freeze again, 1-2 hours. (Optional: Add a small bite of dog treat in between the sweet potato and the 2nd layer of yogurt!)
Coconut Blueberry Dog Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 32 oz. unsweetened coconut milk
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup honey
Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a freezer-safe container and cover, freezing until ready to serve. To serve, scoop individual portions into a bowl. Makes about 5 servings.
Chicken Pops
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- Freezer-safe cups or molds.
Directions: Divide the chopped chicken evenly among the vessels that you will be using for freezing. Then, in a small bowl, combine water and parsley. Divide the water and parsley mixture evenly between your freezing vessels. Freeze overnight and serve. For an added treat, add a dog chew or biscuit as a “stick” for the pop.
Pup’s Frozen Dinner
Ingredients:
- 13 ounce can of your dog’s favorite wet food
- 2 medium plastic freezer bags
Directions: Place wet food into the plastic freezer bags and use a rolling pit to gently remove all extra air from the bags while rolling the wet food into a thin, even layer in the bags. Lay flat in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until the freezing process has begun — the sheet of dog food should feel firm yet pliable.
Using a thin utensil like the back of a butter knife, press lines into the sheet of dog food, horizontally and vertically, where you’ll eventually break it into squares. (Don’t press so hard that you actually break the sheet apart yet, though.) Return the bag to the freezer until frozen solid.
Broccoli Banana Frozen Treats
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 cup broccoli
Directions: Peel bananas and puree with broccoli with a blender or hand mixer. Pour into ice cube tray or freezer-safe mold. Freeze until solid.
Frosty PB&J Pops
Ingredients:
- 12 large fresh strawberries
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
- 1/4 cup water
Directions: Wash and hull strawberries. Puree with water using a blender or hand mixer. Place equal amounts into ice cube tray or freezer-safe mold. Top each treat with a dollop of peanut butter, pressing gently to partially submerge the peanut butter in the treat. Freeze until solid.
Beggin’ For Bacon Freezcicles
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
- 4 oz. apple sauce
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 oz. bacon, chopped.
Directions:Mix all ingredients together and divide evenly into ice cube trays or freezer-safe molds. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid.
Frozen FUR Baby Food
Ingredients:
- Jars of baby food in your pup’s favorite flavors
- Water
Directions: Combine baby food with water using a 1:1 ratio. Place in ice cube trays or freezer-safe molds and freeze until solid.
Pumpkin Pupsicles
Ingredients:
- 15 oz. pureed pumpkin
- 15 oz. plain, unsweetened yogurt
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions: Mix all ingredients together and divide evenly into ice cube trays or freezer-safe molds. Freeze until solid and serve.
Please note that the team at Long Love Dog are not licensed veterinarians. This article is based on our research but we do not know your dog’s specific allergy information. Please consult with your vet if you’re unsure about any of these frozen dog recipes.